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WILLIAM FOSTER. O F GREENFIEL D, INDIANA. Letters Patent No. 72,730, dated DeeemberBl, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN (lAlllG-PIiOUGHS.'

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAYCONOERN: 1 v

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FOSTER, of Greenfield, in the county of Hancock, and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gang-Ploughs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a f l clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are made part of this specification. I I 4 The subject of my invention is asulky-gang plough'or cultivator, of novel construction and arrangement, having two ormore pairs of separately pivoted shovel-beams, adapted to be raised out of the ground, when desired, by the ,driver, while sitting in his seat on the frame, and, by means of a pivoted tongue and devices for holding it, adapted to be operated by the feet of the driver, to be more perfectly and easily turned and guided. In the drawingsv Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved gang-plough, and

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same, onthe line a: 2:, fig. 1.

A A A AA A A may represent the main frame, B B the wheels which support said frame, B the axle- I tree, 0 the tongue to which the draught is applied, and D the drivers seat. E E are frames, to which the shovel-beams F F F F are attached, by means of pivotsfand chains f, in the ordinary way. These frames are, respectively, universally hinged to the front end, A, and to the central cross-pieee,"A of the main frame, and are connected, by means of metallic bars or chains, G G, to the ends of levers H H, centrally pivoted in uprights I I, said uprights being secured in the cross-pieces A A of the main frame, which form, respect- 7 ively, the foot-board and support for the drivers seat. The ends of the levers H H are held bythe hooks-T J,

when it is desired to hold the shovels out ofthe ground. Suitably secured to-the frame F is. an upright lever, K, having its fulcrum in a slot, 79, in the foot-board Ad. By'means of this lever the driver is enabled to dodge the shovels laterally, to avoid ploughing up the plants, its position adapting it to be operated either by'the knees or hands of the driver. The end pieces, Ah'ofthe main frame, between which, at c, the tongue C is pivoted, are each provided with a segmental, bar or strap, L, which brace and guide the tongue in its movements. To the upper one of said bars or straps, at m m, are pivoted jaws M M, which, in their normal position, held the tongue in the centre of the frame. N N are treadles attached to the foot-rest A", and projecting over the end piece A of the main frame, where they are supported on the ends of the spring 0, secured to the top of said end piece, are connected, by eye-bolts n n, to the upper ends of the jaws M M. P P are stops, which determine the upward movement of the treadles N N, by the spring 0.

When the driver wishes to turn the plough in either direction, he has'only to press, with his foot, on the trcadlc, on the side of the plough to which he desires to turn, when the jaw on that side will be raised, and the tongue be free to turn in that direction, the slot between the end pieces A A and guides L allowing it to be turned nearly at right angles to its former position, without moving the plough. By this means the plough may be turned in the smallest possible space. v v

The treadles N N may be rigidly hinged to the foot-board A", or to the axle-tree, as desired, and, when attached as represented in the drawing, if constructed of sufliciently elastic material, the spring 0 may be dispensed with.

. Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In combination with the pivoted tongue 0, I claim the guide-straps or bars L, pivoted jaws M M, and.

treadles N N, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In combination with the treadles N N and pivoted jaws M M, Iclaim the spring 0 and stops P P,

substantially as and for the purpose specified. I

3. The upright lever K, in combination with the frame '13 Fff, andfoot-board A is, arranged and adapted to be operated substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

To the above specification of myjuiprovements in gang-ploughs, I have signed my hand, this 14th day of September, A. D. 1867.

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WILLIAM X FOSTER.

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Witnesses:

WILLIAM MITCHELL, JONATHAN Tacos. 

